The Nature of Possession

377 – EP.13 Declaration

***

The second night arrived. Unlike the tense atmosphere of the first night, a somewhat relaxed atmosphere permeated the campsite.

The bonfire in the center gave off a soft heat, and the agents heading out to the outskirts wearing only light equipment.

Some of the players who had been playing cards also went to bed, rubbing their sleepy eyes.

Johan’s plan to pay off his debts with money he won from card games ended with his debts doubling.

With this, John’s creditors became the rest of the cavalry, except for the captain and deputy captains.

As the goddess of sleep breathed her breath into the world, only the sounds of bodies tossing and turning and the chirping of insects could be heard in Ayeongji.

The stars in the night sky slowly rotated, trailing their tails, and the next worker woke up sleepily to take his shift.

“Do you have any message?”

Daewon said with sleepy eyes.

“The patrol area has been reduced compared to yesterday. You don’t have to go outside the first perimeter.”

Chobeoncho showed a map of the campsite and explained.

“It’s good that the patrol area gave it to me, but is there a special reason?”

“Well, the commander said something like it was a waste of manpower. Take this.”

“Anna? That’s unexpected. Anyway, I understand. Thank you for your hard work.”

After receiving the map, the worker went to the location.

A small piece of paper was felt beneath the map.

– poke poke

I can hear the chirping of insects and the wind blowing through the leaves.

The night watchman, yawning heavily, recalls the card game from earlier.

“Young John, you already owe me ten pieces of silver.”

As the night deepened, the creditor’s worries grew deeper as he wondered whether the debtor would be able to repay his debt faithfully.

The thoughts that began with the money John borrowed soon continued to his own home in the capital.

A small house that I barely bought with the money I saved by tightening my belt. It wasn’t that big, but it was a precious space that I had earned with my own hands.

“I have to change some furniture when I get back. The bed is too uncomfortable.”

He yawned again as he thought about the new things he would bring in.

Just then he heard the sound of leaves rustling behind him.

“Huh? What’s going on?”

Daewon asked about the unexpected appearance of the person.

“My stomach hurts… I’m going to go a little farther.”

As his colleague spoke with a pale face, the agent snickered.

“Oh, that can’t be helped. Don’t go too far, just go far enough so that I can hear you if you shout.”

“okay.”

A colleague passes by, holding his stomach.

The night watchman chuckled at the back of his departing colleague.

“……”

The face of the night watchman who had been smiling in the direction his colleague had disappeared became cold and hard.

He took out the piece of paper he had been handed under the map. After checking the contents again, the night watchman looked somewhere and held his earlobe.

Ss …

“Be careful, Anna.”

The night watchman muttered.

The third day. The last day the Emperor had promised was approaching.

***

“Do you think your hair is okay?”

The emperor asked as if he were a young lady who had just arrived at a church.

“What can obscure Your Majesty’s beauty?”

The Knight Commander nodded.

The emperor, who woke up early in the morning, spent a lot of time on his appearance.

Many people had to struggle to prepare the bathtub and hot water.

Combing hair and finding clothes that would please the emperor were also part of the job.

After two full hours of dressing up, the emperor barely gave himself a passing grade and set out to meet the cavalry captain.

“I see the cavalry captain!”

The officer at the head of the procession spoke.

“Inform the cavalry captain of my procession.”

Boohoo- The low sound of a trumpet rang across the plains.

The footsteps of the subjects shake the earth.

“…….”

The end of the sound. A man watching the ruler of the empire come.

A captain leading a cavalry unit. He was once the leader of an undefeated mercenary corps.

He slowly moves forward as if welcoming a great army.

I feel the shaking of the earth with my whole body.

The emperor trembled involuntarily at the sight of that stern figure.

I want that man. I want to put him under me and crush him.

The emperor licked his lips without realizing it.

“Stop.”

When the Emperor raised his hand, the Knight Commander spoke.

The gigantic human tidal wave stops in an instant.

The emperor stands up with a face like a spring flower.

The ministers carrying the palanquin bent their knees.

The wall the soldiers built splits. The emperor walks along the path they created.

Behind the Emperor, the Knight Commander follows.

“……”

The cavalry captain’s indifferent gaze turned to the knight commander.

“Show your courtesy, Captain.”

It was natural to pay homage to the Emperor of the Empire, the ruler of the continent.

But the cavalry captain’s legs refused to move.

“That’s fine. Such trivial things are of no importance between me and the cavalry captain.”

The emperor smiled broadly and approached the cavalry captain, seemingly okay with such rudeness.

“Captain. Did you want to see my face?”

“That’s not it.”

The cavalry captain spoke, locking eyes with the Emperor.

“Then what is it?”

The emperor still had a smiling face.

But that face didn’t last long.

“I’ve requested this seat because I want to tell you one thing.”

“What is it?”

Cracks begin to appear on the Emperor’s face little by little.

“Tomorrow. The cavalry will break through the Empire’s encirclement.”

It was a truly arrogant declaration.

“You dare to go against the Empire? Why?”

When the Emperor asked with a stern face, the cavalry captain nodded.

“The cavalry commander will do so.”

“I know your dance well. However, you cannot stop the great flow. Do you want to be a foolish bird that crashes into a thick wall?”

“There’s nothing I can do. I’m the cavalry captain.”

A strangely shortened speech.

“To have you, I must break your will. Resist with all your might. I will break it.”

The emperor gave a twisted smile.

“You will need to prepare well.”

“Do you really think you can win?”

The emperor asked with a blank laugh, as if it were absurd, and the general answered as if it were obvious.

“Win.”